We have had a house on East Main Street for almost 34 years and still live there, own a duplex next door to us, and have had a business in the downtown area (first at 315 E. Main, now located at 448 S. 1st Ave.) for the last 7 yrs. We would like to express our support for the proposed change to two-way traffic in historic downtown Hillsboro.

While doing business in the downtown area, it has always been a challenge giving customers directions to get to the front door of the store. When you tell someone they have to go around 4 or 5 blocks just because you can’t take the next right or left, it makes traveling in the downtown core very user-unfriendly. Also, many times you see people using county or city facilities who are not familiar with the area, getting confused and attempting to go the wrong way on one of the one-way streets.

The one-way grid appears to make Main a commuter lane for people trying to bypass going on to Baseline heading west, which we believe contributes to more traffic going along in front of our home and duplex. There are no stoplights on Main between 10th (the stop going right onto Main off 10th Avenue is a true cruise-through "California stop") and many commuters can bypass the MAX tracks and the stoplights on Baseline at 6th, 8th and 10th avenues. We think a two-way grid would lessen some of the traffic on Main and slow the traffic down.

Some have stated that if there is a two-way grid it would bring more people to the core area without adequate parking to accommodate them. Well, No. 1, if you are a downtown merchant the more visitors the better. Also, on a nice Tuesday night in the summer, the market draws quite a crowd to enjoy the festivities. They all didn’t walk there or take transit so finding a place to park doesn’t appear to be a huge issue.

There are some empty spots on Main and other streets that maybe a property owner would consider turning into pay for parking or make a deal with the city. You have to pay to park in many cities of Hillsboro’s size, especially in private lots. Lack of parking doesn’t appear to be a real issue.

Since we have been in the downtown core area for a while now, we have seen many changes over the years. Tuality Hospital has added a building or two, Pacific University has put up two and plans on another one, TriMet's MAX was put in, the old J.B. Thomas Middle School building was torn down and replaced with Lincoln School, new Washington County administrative and jail buildings, the new City of Hillsboro building and plaza, the Washington Street apartments, and the new market rate apartments 4th Main. All of these additions have become assets for the core.

The biggest thing we are lacking is amenities, shops, restaurants, and other services that will draw young people with or without families to move into the core area and turn it into a true neighborhood again. We have gained on this; We have seen more young people in my neighborhood. We have seen students, young families and children but we need to give others a reason to move into the core and either build new homes or renovate the older homes.

With a two-way street system we feel we can give the core area a vibe or buzz that will attract new businesses to fill up the vacant spots downtown. It will give property owners with derelict properties along Baseline and Oak a reason to either sell these properties or use the properties with a purpose instead of letting them fall (some of them literally) into eyesores that make people shy away from the core area. A two-way street system would slow traffic down, get people to look around them, and make the area safer and friendlier. A study done by the city shows two-way streets make for a better business environment and a better neighborhood feel.

Change for many is hard to accept. There are always reasons for not doing anything, leaving things as they are. My wife and are starting to get older and we don’t accept change as easily as we used to but from what we have seen of the changes that have been done in the years we have lived here they all have been for the better.

We have heard naysayers at community meetings on most of the above-mentioned projects, and we always say we can’t live like it's 1954 or 2004. You either go through transformations once in a while or you stagnate; this is in your personal life and the same goes for your community.

Let's shake up downtown Hillsboro again and switch the street system to the right way, which is a two-way grid.